Seth Jarvis had a great rookie season with the Carolina Hurricanes. He finished in the top 10 of rookie scoring and proved himself as a reliable top-six forward. In fact, he played like one of the best players in the league and showed he has a lot of potential. The Hurricanes drafted Jarvis with the 13th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, and it paid off this season.
Jarvis’ Career With the Winterhawks
Jarvis had a stellar career playing for the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Portland Winterhawks. The Winterhawks selected him 11th overall in the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft, and he quickly became one of the top players in that league. In the 2019-20 season, he scored 42 goals and 98 points in 58 games, which put the NHL on notice. After that outstanding campaign, the Hurricanes drafted him, and he played for the Winterhawks for one more season. He left Portland with 73 goals and 166 points in 154 games.
Jarvis Excelled in His Rookie Season in the NHL
In his debut season, Jarvis produced 17 goals and 40 points in 68 games. While those numbers won’t get him in the Calder Trophy conversation like Moritz Seider or Trevor Zegras, he still did well, considering his lack of NHL experience. His 17 goals were tied for seventh among NHL rookies with Dawson Mercer, and his 40 points ranked ninth.
He also tied Jordan Staal for sixth in team scoring and finished tied for eighth in points with Martin Necas. Jarvis had one of the best rookie seasons in franchise history. His season tied him with Erik Cole for third in points as a rookie all-time, only including years as a Hurricane. If we include the Hartford Whalers, he ranks tenth all-time.
Jarvis’ Advanced Statistics
Jarvis also put up good analytics against his rookie cohorts. According to Natural Stat Trick, the 20-year-old finished ninth in 5v5 expected goals for (xGF) among rookies with 45.83. Also, he finished third in 5v5 xGF% (min. 650 minutes played) with 57.88. Throughout the NHL, Jarvis’ xGF% ranked 24th, placing him behind Aaron Ekblad and Andrew Mangiapane – a high xGF or xGF% means that the player had a high chance of scoring given the location and type of the shot.
Jarvis’ Year Compared to Other Rookie Seasons
Though he hasn’t been the top rookie this season, he has similar numbers to other strong rookie campaigns. Jarvis and his 17 goals and 40 points in 68 games match up well with these NHL stars:
- Patrice Bergeron (2003-04) – 16 goals, 39 points in 71 games
- Brad Marchand (2010-11) – 21 goals, 41 points in 77 games
- Mark Scheifele (2013-14) – 13 goals, 34 points in 63 games
- Mikko Rantanen (2016-17) – 20 goals, 38 points in 75 games
- Brayden Point (2016-17) – 18 goals, 40 points in 68 games
How Jarvis Finished 2021-22
It took Jarvis a while to get his mojo going. He recorded no goals and only three points in an 18-game stretch from Jan. 22 to March 10. In that fateful March 10 game against the Colorado Avalanche, Jarvis got injured and missed the next three games. However, after his return, the young Canadian scored nine goals and 20 points in 22 games.
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Since March 18, Jarvis has scored the most goals (9) and points (20) among rookies and a whopping 22 shooting percentage since then – the highest shooting percentage in the NHL this season was Marcus Foligno’s 23.5 percent. His play in recent weeks also contributed to the Hurricanes’ six-game win streak to end the regular season, as he recorded a point in each of those games.
Playing on the Top Line Has Helped Jarvis
Playing on the top line helped Jarvis’ progression. Since March 20, Jarvis has played on the top line as the right-wing beside Sebastian Aho, which seemed to boost the latter’s production. In 21 consecutive games together, Aho notched 10 goals and 20 points, while Jarvis earned seven goals and 18 points. The duo plays well together, and it was a smart move that head coach Rod Brind’Amour kept them together on the first line.
Jarvis’ Continued Success Going Into the Playoffs
The youngster, determined to continue his great season, played his heart out in Game 1 of the Hurricanes’ first-round series against the Boston Bruins. In his first NHL postseason game, Jarvis recorded a goal and assist, leading the way to a 5-1 victory in Raleigh. He broke a scoreless tie late in the second period by deflecting a Jaccob Slavin shot for his first career playoff goal. That goal lit a fire under the Canes, who scored a goal two minutes later.
Hurricanes’ Future Looks Bright with Jarvis
With Aho and Andrei Svechnikov already proving how valuable they are to the team, having another elite forward under 25 years old will make the Hurricanes’ offense unstoppable, and if Jarvis continues to improve, they will have one of the best top-six forward groups in the league.